Baseball opens Freedom Conference play with split at FDU-Florham

Senior Scott Matejicka had an important RBI double in the top of the seventh inning in the game two win.

BOX SCORE (Game 1)

BOX SCORE (Game 2)

Madison, NJ (March 22, 2008) – The DeSales University baseball team started its Freedom Conference season splitting the first two games of a three-game set with FDU-Florham this Easter weekend dropping game one, 7-4, and winning game two, 5-3, on Saturday afternoon in Madison, NJ.

In the series opener, DSU trailed 6-1 entering the fifth inning when the Bulldogs plated three runs to cut the deficit to two runs (6-4). In the fifth senior Scott Matejicka (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) and junior Mike Bianca (Ellicott City, MD/Mt. St. Joseph) each had RBI's as two of the three runs were unearned due to one Devil error.

After failing to score in the sixth, FDU added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth and DSU went quietly in the seventh giving the FDU the opener. Sophomore Charles Swenson (Ellicott City, MD/ Mt. Hebron) took the loss for DSU lasting three innings allowing five runs on six hits. Senior Andrew Heard (Alexandria, VA/Hayfield) and freshman Evan Zechman (Wilmington, DE/St. Mark's) each had two hits in the game one loss.

In the second game, the Bulldogs scored in each of the first three innings including two runs in the top of the third inning on a two-run home run from sophomore Andrew Feher (Riegelsville, PA/Palisades) to open up a 4-0 lead.

The Devils scored once in the third, fourth and sixth innings to cut the lead to 4-3 but DSU added an insurance tally in the top of the seventh on an RBI double from Matejicka and sophomore Joe Walsh (Green Brook, NJ/Watchung Hills) pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless/hitless relief to earn his first save of the season.

Sophomore Chris Brian (Oak Ridge, NJ/Jefferson Township) earned the win pitching 5.1 solid innings allowing just six hits and two earned runs while striking out six. Walsh retired all five batters he faced, one via strikeout to finish the game.

Matejicka and sophomore Doc Neiman (Center Valley, PA/Southern Lehigh) each had two hits (three doubles total) to lead the hit parade along with Feher's two-run homer, the second of the season for Feher.

The Bulldogs will finish the three-game series with the Devils on Monday when these two teams face-off in the rubber match at Butz Field beginning at 3:30 pm with the winner taking two of three and earning the tiebreaker come playoff time.

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